Chris Klieman counting on Dylan Edwards to flourish over spring
Kansas State running back Dylan Edwards carries the ball during the second quarter against Oklahoma State Saturday September 28, 2024 at Bill Snyder Family Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Now that the Wildcats are gearing into spring ball this week, there’s one player that Coach Chris Klieman has his eyes on, and for many reasons.
Dylan Edwards backed up two-time, 1,000-yard rusher DJ Giddens last season, but he made the most out of his opportunities, and shined whenever he had the ball. After all, he was a weapon on the ground, out of the backfield, and on special teams.
Despite his lack of ideal size, the five-foot-nine, 167-pound Edwards is like lightning in a bottle, with his breathtaking speed, and explosiveness. Edwards even averaged 7.4 yards per carry, and scored touchdowns in a variety of ways for Kansas State.
Not to mention he’s a special teams demon, who returned a punt 71 yards to the house in the victory over Arizona. Edwards left a lasting impression after he rushed for 196 yards, scored three total touchdowns, and earned Offensive MVP honors of the Rate Bowl win over Rutgers.
Which is why Klieman is anticipating that Edwards will pick up from where he left off in spring practice. With Giddens off to the NFL, Edwards has a golden opportunity over the next four weeks to lock down the position. He’s very similar to former Wildcat rushers Darren Sproles and Deuce Vaughn in terms of size and quickness, and Klieman feels Edwards packs a lot of power in his tiny frame.
“Pound for pound he’s the strongest kid, that kid is great in the weight room, pushes weights and moves it fast,” Klieman said. “Everybody knows how fast the kid is, but people don’t realize how strong his lower body is, how strong his upper body is.”
There’ll be competition in the running back room though, with Nebraska transfer Gabe Ervin Jr., and Joe Jackson battling it out with Edwards for carries. Jackson rushed for 227 yards with the Wildcats in 2024, and Ervin had two touchdowns on the ground during that same span with the Huskers.
Matt Wells is taking over play-calling duties, so there’ll be some slight changes to the offense. Regardless, Edwards will be heavily in the mix of Well’s scheme, and the coaching staff must find different ways to get him touches.
It’s still up in the air if one running back is going to get the bulk of the carries, or if the Wildcats are going to have a running back-by-committee approach. Klieman will be paying close attention to Edwards to see if he can emerge as the top back on the roster. The 20-year old might not have a Derrick Henry-type body to handle 30 carries a game, but Klieman is confident that Edwards has workhorse tendencies.
“I’ve always been impressed with how physical of a kid Dylan is,” he said. “For not being stature-wise a very big guy, he sure plays big.”
Last season the Wildcats finished second in the Big 12, and 11th nationally in rushing offense. Klieman wants to keep that production going because it brings a lot of success in the league, and Edwards will receive a lot of the action. Everything appears to be coming full circle for the junior, and his work ethic is noteworthy. Although he was in a crowded backfield at Colorado in 2023, Edwards still led the team in rushing, and scored five total touchdowns.
It only made sense for the former four-star prospect to return to his home state to play ball. His hometown Derby is only 140 miles away from campus, which is equivalent to a two-hour drive. Now the his long journey appears to be paying off. Klieman expects Edwards to turn some heads, and raise several eyebrows throughout the spring, so the best is yet to come.
“He wants to be an every down guy, and he needs to be an every down guy.”
